Feb 5 Try Out Tip: The Day After

• I am disappointed the Pats lost.
• It is a sad day in Patriots Nation.
• But I congratulate Philly.
• As do the Pats. Gracious Losers are equally as important as gracious Winners.
• The day after is hard.
• Tom and the Pats are already thinking about the work ahead of them for NEXT season.
• That is the mindset of a Winner and a Champion.
• They don’t shy away from hard work or the unknown.
• The day after Try Outs if you are not placed on the team you wanted or should have been placed on is equally as hard as losing, but on a personal level not team level.
• After the sting of the disappointment eases up.  You must…
• Own it.
• Next.
• Move forward.
• Think of the good that will come out of this disappointment.
• Make lemonade out of lemons.
• It is all in your attitude.
• And it must start ON THE DAY after.
• Start planning your work and working your NEW plan.
• Your Plan B.
• I have gone through this many times myself and with my own children.
• Most recently to my daughter in field hockey last fall.
• She went to camps, tournies all summer. Worked her butt off.
• As a result of her performance at these camps that she SACRIFICED her summer for, she is being recruited by D1 schools.
• Fast. Strong. Ready. A difference maker she was  singled out by top coaches in the nation.
• I flew home early with her from our family vacation in Italy for Try Outs. We would never think of missing anything let alone a try out day.
• she scored the most in try outs.
• Was the one of three fastest in try outs, daily.
• Try outs were extended for an extra week. Not fair did not like that. Never seen that. Not how I operate but not up to me…
• I was told her being the top goal scorer that  “scoring doesn’t matter”
• Others who missed try out day or days due to other sport sporting commitments made the team.
• Even after they were injured at that other sporting event for the other sport.
• Not a good message to the other kids for many reasons.
• But this is how things went down for her.
• Seen this happen in hockey. Countless times. Have heard from so many upset parents.
• Different details but same story.
• I am a parent too and fully understand the sting.
• So what do you do?
• You move on
• Here is the good that will come out of a disapointing placemet or yes many times an unfair placement IF YOU HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE:

1. playing time. you will get a ton.
2. confidence. you will gain a ton.
3. game experience. you will gain a lot of game play experience.
4. happiness. you will love your team. you will be the difference maker and respected by your teammates.
5. you will learn a good lesson in eating humble pie.
6. you just got what i call ” a punch in the face “out of the way. when i say this i dont mean literally, but figuratively getting sucker punched. in sports and pretty much anything in life. the puck is not always going to bounce your way. it is the law of stats and averages. The good news if you keep up the hard work and doing the right thing…You are due for the puck to bounce your way next time. And maybe it will be at a MORE important time for that puck to  bounce your way. Maybe later when it matters more.
7. You know the old saying. Nobody wants to peak in high school.
8. Sports are a marathon NOT a sprint.
9. Your body of work will be measured in years even a decade. Not one season.
10. Remember that.
11. You will work even harder than you did the prior summer.
12. Even though you did not think that was possible. It is.
13. You will learn from all of your continued hard work.
14. That work will be a part of you forever.
15. Nobody by a placement can take away the work that you have done to  prepare for this try out or the next one.
16. You own your work. It is yours.
17. You are now a better player and in many ways person.
18. You will be more appreciative when you earn what you worked for next time.
19. You learned hard  life lessons.
20. This adversity will make you a stronger player and person.
21. You will learn that life is not always fair.
22. And this will toughen you up mentally.
23. Make you a little bit grittier.
24. Hungrier.
25. You need that grit to succeed. It is a fact.
26. These are hard lessons for kids to learn.
27. But these lessons will make them stronger.
28. Their dissapointments are hard on us as parents.
29. I get it.

• All you can do is control you.
• I always say. When someone slams a door in your face. Break down the damn door.
• Winners are losers who don’t give up.
• Most give up, because it is too damn hard.
• Don’t.
• Next.
• I love Miracle on Ice.
• Never count ANYONE out.
• We will talk about these scenarios at Pro Ambitions.
• We want kids to know that they are training with us with unbiased eyes.
• They are not being judged.
• We want them to lose their battles and try things that they may not during their season.
• Play out of their comfort zone and push themselves.
• They will be winning their battles by the end of the week.
• We will make sure of that.
• In a safe, supportive, rigorous hockey atmosphere.
• They will leave better hockey players.
• Period.
• Kids should never feel anxious prior to camp about training with us.
• We are here to HELP.
• With positive reinforcement.
• Think about the ONE V ONE PERSONAL COACHING AT YOUR CAMP.
• You can select this option at check out.
• This is the ultimate in training for so many reasons, confidence being a huge one.